Orthodox Christians Celebrate Christmas with Wishes for Peace, Love, and Prosperity

(Patria) - The Serbian Orthodox Church and its faithful are celebrating the most joyous Christian holiday today, Christmas – the day of Jesus Christ's birth.

All Christians celebrate Christmas as a universal holiday, because according to beliefs, it is the "day of the birth of the most sacred child in human history, the day of the birth of the Savior".

Christmas is celebrated for three days in remembrance of the day of Jesus Christ's birth. It is a holiday of new life, a holiday of children and childhood. Orthodox believers who follow the Julian calendar are celebrating Christmas today – the birth of Jesus Christ, the most joyous Christian holiday. In Christianity, Christmas signifies the arrival of God on Earth, whose mission is the salvation of humankind and represents the fulfillment of the promise that God will not abandon humanity, but will send them a Savior.

For Christmas, people greet each other with "Christ is born" instead of the usual greeting, and respond with "He is truly born". Christmas, along with Easter, is one of the two greatest Christian holidays.

Christmas is a holiday for the entire family, and therefore its members should be together during the holiday days.

Believers celebrating Christmas begin the day by bringing in untouched water, welcoming the 'položajnik' (first guest), going to church for service and communion, and then having their first meat meal.

Numerous congratulations have arrived for Orthodox believers celebrating Christmas from all levels of government, with wishes that they spend this most joyous holiday with relatives, friends, and neighbors in peace, love, and prosperity.

The Patria Agency wishes you a Merry Christmas.